Exposure to N,N-dimethylformamide activates sterol regulatory element-binding proteins and affects iron metabolism
10.20001/j.issn.2095-2619.20260213
- VernacularTitle:N,N-二甲基甲酰胺接触激活固醇调节元件结合蛋白并影响铁代谢
- Author:
Xiaoxia JIANG
1
;
Mei WU
;
Zhujun CHEN
;
Jianbing WU
;
Rong CHEN
;
Jiayi SHEN
;
Zhijun LI
Author Information
1. Zhangjiagang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu 215600, China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
N,N-dimethylformamide;
Sterol regulatory element-binding protein;
Transferrin;
Soluble transferrin receptor;
Ferritin
- From:
China Occupational Medicine
2026;53(1):79-83
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective To investigated the effects of occupational exposure to N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) on sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP) and iron metabolism among workers. Methods A total of 20 workers occupationally exposed to DMF were selected as the exposure group, and 15 healthy workers without DMF exposure from the same factory were selected as the control group using the purposive sampling method. DMF exposure levels were assessed in individual samples of the workers. The urinary N-methylformamide (NMF) levels were measured by gas chromatography. The mRNA expression of SREBP-1a, SREBP-1c, and SREBP-2 in peripheral blood was measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect serum transferrin, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), and ferritin levels. Results The DMF exposure levels among the workers in the control group were below the detection limit, and urinary NMF was undetectable. The median DMF exposure level was 13.30 mg/m3, and the mean urinary NMF level was (9.72±1.78) mg/g Cr among the workers in the exposure group. Compared with the control group, the relative mRNA expression of SREBP-1a, SREBP-1c, and SREBP-2 in peripheral blood of workers in the exposure group increased (all P<0.05), while the levels of transferrin and sTfR decreased (both P<0.01). However, there was no statistically significant difference in serum ferritin levels between the two groups (P>0.05). In the exposure group, urinary NMF level of workers was negatively correlated with the relative mRNA expression level of SREBP-1c in blood [correlation coefficient (r)=-0.50, P=0.03], and positively correlated with the levels of serum transferrin, sTfR, and ferritin (r = 0.63, 0.58, and 0.52, respectively; all P<0.05). Conclusion Occupational exposure to DMF can upregulate the expression of the SREBP family and disrupt iron metabolism, with a potential association between these effects.
